SHANE van Gisbergen’s hopes of a come-from-behind Supercars Championship appear to have ended just four corners into the Saturday race at the Adelaide 500.
Van Gisbergen was taken out of the 250km contest after heavy contact with Will Brown, the teammate of title rival Brodie Kostecki.
Brown clouted the wall on the outside of Turn 4 after a two-wide squeeze with the Dick Johnson Racing Mustang of Anton De Pasquale.
An unsighted van Gisbergen then collected the right-rear of Brown’s car, putting both out on the spot.
Championship drama on the opening lap! 😵😵 Shane van Gisbergen is OUT after contact with Will Brown ❌#RepcoSC #7Motorsport pic.twitter.com/Ko5IyGil6N
— 7Sport (@7Sport) November 25, 2023
Brown had entered Turn 4 battling for fourth place with De Pasquale, behind leader Kostecki, David Reynolds and Thomas Randle.
Kostecki entered the race with a 131-point championship lead over van Gisbergen and now only has to finish today’s race to secure the title.
The incident will likely cost Brown third in the championship, having entered the race just nine points ahead of Broc Feeney.
Erebus and Triple Eight are also fighting out the teams’ title, with the former holding a 170-point lead.
